Arms industry
Part of a series on |
War |
---|
The arms industry, also known as the defence (or defense) industry, military industry, or the arms trade, is a global
In 2022, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated global military expenditure at $2.24 trillion, the highest level ever recorded by SIPRI. Global spending grew by 19 per cent over the decade 2013–22 and has risen every year since 2015.[1] The combined arms-sales of the top 100 largest arms-producing companies and military services companies totaled $597 billion in 2022, according to SIPRI.[2] According to the institute, the five largest arms exporters in 2018–22 were the United States, Russia, France, China and Germany. Together, they supplied 76% of the world's arms exports in 2018–22.[3]
Many
History
This section includes a improve this section by introducing more precise citations. (August 2020) ) |
During the early modern period, England, France, Sweden and the Netherlands became self-sufficient in arms production, with diffusion and migration of skilled workers to more peripheral countries such as Portugal and Russia.[citation needed]
The modern arms industry emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as a product of the creation and expansion of the first large military–industrial companies. As smaller countries (and even newly industrializing countries like Russia and Japan) could no longer produce cutting-edge military equipment with their indigenous resources and capacity, they increasingly began to contract the manufacture of military equipment, such as battleships, artillery pieces and rifles to foreign firms.[citation needed]
In 1854, the
In the American Civil War in 1861
This industrial innovation in the defense industry was adopted by
The volume of the arms trade greatly increased during the 20th century, and it began to be used as a political tool, especially during the Cold War where the United States and the USSR supplied weapons to their proxies across the world, particularly third world countries (see Nixon Doctrine).[8]
Sectors
Land-based weapon
This category includes everything from
Small arms
The
Aerospace systems
Encompassing military aircraft (both land-based and
Several of the world's
Cybersecurity
The cybersecurity industry is expected to be of increasing importance to defense, intelligence and homeland security agencies.
International arms transfers
Over time
2010-2014
2014-2018
SIPRI has identified 67 countries as exporters of major weapons in 2014–18. The top 5 exporters during the period were responsible for 75 percent of all arms exports. The composition of the five largest exporters of arms changed between 2014 and 2018 remained unchanged compared to 2009–13, although their combined total exports of major arms were 10 percent higher. In 2014–18, significant increases in arms exports from the US, France and Germany were seen, while Chinese exports rose marginally and Russian exports decreased.[14]
In 2014–18, 155 countries (about three-quarters of all countries) imported major weapons. The top 5 recipients accounted for 33 percent of the total arms imports during the period. The top five arms importers - Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and Algeria - accounted for 35 percent of total arms imports in 2014–18. Of these, Saudi Arabia and India were among the top five importers in both 2009–13 and 2014–18.
In 2014–18, the volume of major arms international transfers was 7.8 percent higher than in 2009-13 and 23 percent than that in 2004–08. The largest arms importer was Saudi Arabia, importing arms primarily from the United States, United Kingdom and France. Between 2009–13 and 2014–18, the flow of arms to the Middle East increased by 87 percent. Also including India, Egypt, Australia and Algeria, the top five importers received 35 percent of the total arms imports, during 2014–18. The five largest exporters were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China.[14]
Post-2018
The
World's largest arms exporters
2022 Rank |
Supplier | Arms Exp (in million TIV) |
---|---|---|
1 | United States | 14,515 |
2 | France | 3,021 |
3 | Russia | 2,820 |
4 | China | 2,017 |
5 | India | 1,900 |
6 | Italy | 1,825 |
7 | Germany | 1,510 |
8 | United Kingdom | 1,504 |
9 | Spain | 950 |
10 | Israel | 831 |
Overall global arms exports rose of about 6 per-cent in the last 5 years compared to the period 2010-2014 and increased by 20 per-cent since 2005–2009.[20]
Rankings for exporters below a billion dollars are less meaningful, as they can be swayed by single contracts. A much more accurate picture of export volume, free from yearly fluctuations, is presented by 5-year moving averages.
Next to SIPRI, there are several other sources that provide data on international transfers of arms. These include national reports by national governments about arms exports, the UN register on conventional arms, and an annual publication by the
World's largest arms exporters since 1950
SIPRI uses the "trend-indicator values" (TIV). These are based on the known unit production costs of weapons and represent the transfer of military resources rather than the financial value of the transfer.[21]
1950–2022 Rank |
Supplier | Arms Exp (in billion TIV) |
---|---|---|
1 | United States | 729,161 |
2 | Soviet Union (1950-1991) | 450,786 |
3 | Russia (1992-present) | 155,926 |
4 | United Kingdom | 144,569 |
5 | France | 136,347 |
6 | Germany | 90,701 |
7 | China | 61,283 |
8 | Italy | 37,328 |
9 | Czechoslovakia (1950-1992) | 31,066 |
10 | Netherlands | 25,632 |
World's largest arms importers
Units are in Trend Indicator Values expressed as millions of
2022 Rank |
Recipient | Arms Imp (in million TIV) |
---|---|---|
1 | India | 3,342 |
2 | Qatar | 2,846 |
3 | Ukraine | 2,644 |
4 | Saudi Arabia | 2,272 |
5 | Kuwait | 2,249 |
6 | Pakistan | 1,565 |
7 | Japan | 1,291 |
8 | Norway | 848 |
9 | United States | 837 |
10 | Israel | 829 |
Arms import rankings fluctuate heavily as countries enter and exit wars. Export data tend to be less volatile as exporters tend to be more technologically advanced and have stable production flows. 5-year moving averages present a much more accurate picture of import volume, free from yearly fluctuations.
List of major weapon manufacturers
This is a list of the world's largest arms manufacturers and other military service companies who profit the most from the war economy, their origin is shown as well. The information is based on a list published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute for 2022.[23]
2022 Rank | Company name | Defense Revenue (US$ billions) |
% of Total Revenue from Defense |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Lockheed Martin | 59.39 | 90 |
2 | RTX Corporation | 39.57 | 59 |
3 | Northrop Grumman | 32.30 | 88 |
4 | Boeing | 29.30 | 44 |
5 | General Dynamics | 28.32 | 72 |
6 | BAE Systems | 26.90 | 97 |
7 | Norinco | 22.06 | 27 |
8 | Aviation Industry Corporation of China | 20.62 | 25 |
9 | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | 19.56 | 44 |
10 | Rostec | 16.81 | 55 |
11 | China Electronics Technology Group Corporation | 15.08 | 27 |
12 | L3Harris Technologies | 12.63 | 74 |
13 | Leonardo S.p.A. | 12.47 | 83 |
14 | Airbus | 12.09 | 20 |
15 | China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation | 11.77 | 32 |
Arms control
Arms control refers to international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction.[24] It is typically exercised through the use of diplomacy, which seeks to persuade governments to accept such limitations through agreements and treaties, although it may also be forced upon non-consenting governments.
Notable international arms control treaties
- Geneva Protocol on chemical and biological weapons, 1925
- Outer Space Treaty, signed and entered into force 1967
- Biological Weapons Convention, signed 1972, entered into force 1975
- Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), 1987
- Chemical Weapons Convention, signed 1993, entered into force 1997
- Ottawa Treaty on anti-personnel land mines, signed 1997, entered into force 1999
- New START Treaty, signed by Russia and the United States in April 2010, entered into force in February 2011
- Arms Trade Treaty, concluded in 2013, entered into force on 24 December 2014.[25]
See also
References
- .
- .
- .
- ^ "Weapons and Markets- 875m small arms worldwide, value of authorized trade is more than $8.5b". Small Arms Survey. December 8, 2014. Archived from the original on November 2, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ^ "William Armstrong | About the Man". williamarmstrong.info. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ISBN 0-946098-23-9.
- Oxford Bibliographies. Archivedfrom the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ISBN 9780745654188. Archivedfrom the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
- ^ a b c "International Defense Industry". Foreign Policy Association (Newsletter). Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
- ^ Debbie Hillier; Brian Wood (2003). "Shattered Lives – the case for tough international arms control" (PDF). Control Arms Campaign. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 23, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
- ^ "The defence industry - a changing game?". NATO Review. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ "Cyber security for the defence industry". Cybersecurity Review. May 5, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^ Wezeman, Pieter D. (December 7, 2020). "Arms production". SIPRI. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c Fleurant, Aude; Wezeman, Pieter D.; Wezeman, Siemon T.; Tian, Nan; Kuimova, Alexandra (March 2019). "TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRANSFERS, 2018" (PDF). sipri.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 15, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ Goodman, Joshua (March 18, 2022). "American gunmakers ramp up efforts to help Ukrainians fight back against Putin". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022 – via Fortune.
- ^ "U.S. Gunmakers' efforts to get weapons to Ukraine often stifled by red tape". Newsweek. March 18, 2022. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ Marshall, Andrew R. c. (March 2022). "Ukrainians rush to buy rifles, shotguns as police relax rules". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Voice of America News. January 29, 2024.
- ^ "SIPRI Arms Transfers Database". SIPRI. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- International Insider. March 13, 2020. Archived from the originalon April 20, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
- ^ "SIPRI Arms Transfers Database". SIPRI. February 12, 2024.
- ^ "SIPRI Arms Transfers Database". SIPRI. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ "The SIPRI Top 100 arms-producing and military services companies in the world, 2022". SIPRI. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- About.com. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original(Article) on September 3, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2012.
- ^ Delgado, Andrea (February 23, 2015). "Explainer: what is the Arms Trade Treaty?". The Conversation. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.